The understanding of global environmental management problems is best achieved through transdisciplinary research lenses that combine scientific and other sector (industry, government, etc.) tools and perspectives. However, developing effective research teams that cross such boundaries is difficult. This book demonstrates the importance of transdisciplinarity, describes challenges to such teamwork, and provides solutions for overcoming these challenges. It includes case studies of transdisciplinary teamwork, showing how these solutions have helped groups to develop better understandings of environmental problems and potential responses.

Monograph Chapter

Abstract

Sustainability has often been considered a nebulous concept, with shifting definitions of what sustainability entails, disagreements about what criteria should be met to ensure something is sustainable and narrow conceptions of who gets to enjoy the outcomes of a sustainable world. In this chapter, we review the history of the concept and present examples of how sustainability has been governed in the past. We offer an extended vision of how environmental management can be sustainable, not only within the engineering and natural science disciplines, but also how it can and should include social science dimensions related to governance as well.

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